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Hello everybody,
my name is Federico and I'm Italian.
I've got a big question here for you all that's really really important for me.
I'm in a rock band and we're about to record our first album.
We recently had a meeting to talk about it, planning things etc etc.. Well..let's get to the point.
The main thing we discussed was which language to choose for the songs lyrics.
What to choose...Italian or English? That's the question.
The point is that I've always sang in English, I've always listened to English music and I feel really unconfortable when I sing in Italian. I don't really like Italian rock music and how our language fits in that kind of sound.
I feel like it doesn't belong to me..I mean, Italian rock music.
Everybody I've asked to, referring to Italian people of course, says that singing in English would mean less possibility of success in our country and being totally Ignored in Anglo Saxon countries and America also.
Is that true, are we such crap that can't even aim to reach a bigger audience rather then just the Italian one?

In this case, I would choose singing in English.
Singing in Italian could possibly gain you more attention and such, but I would much rather listen to a band with a confident (if that's the sound you're going for) lead singer.
This is going to sound pretty cliché, but you should choose what you really want (follow ur <333), not what you think you need to do to become famous. I think, as you practically said yourself, that being a good band and making good music is more important than which language you sing in.

On the other hand, singing in your mother tongue may be interesting, too, as a little experiment. Maybe not right now, but later on in your musical life. Each language has its own sound and flow, and it may be a powerful tool.

I think that in the long run English may bring you a bigger fanbase, assuming that you're talented enough. I'd do most of the album in English, with one or two songs in Italian; by singing in two languages, you'd be pleasing both parties, and it's more fun too.
Do what you want to do, not what you think may be better. It's only passion and belief in what you do that will get you somewhere, and you can't have that if you don't do what you want to do.

How many shows have you played prior to recording this first album?
Where were these shows?
Who was in attendance? How many?
Who is paying for the album?
Have you / your band signed any contract with anyone?

Keep in mind it's VERY rare for any band that isn't from the US to amount to anything substantial in America. Even when they do, more often than not they're just a one hit wonder.

Here's another thing, when you're sitting at home alone and just contemplating life. What language are you using to discuss your existence with yourself? My father thought in French, but wrote lyrics in English in hopes of securing better success. It worked for some songs, but there are others where some of the lyrics would make you cringe. The original idea might be solid (and reconsidering some of those lyrics in French improved them greatly), but the translated result is not always the best.